Lack-burn 20 (or 10) mile virtual race -- 8/1-8/2 -- coaches, please forward

[Nathaniel Day]

Announcing the very first and hopefully only ever "Lack-burn", the third "race" in the 2020 non-racing season! Coaches, please forward.

July is nearly over. By now, in a normal year the Cape Ann Rowing Club would have hosted Blackburn, a 20-mile circumnavigation of Cape Ann on the north shore of Massachusetts. It didn't happen this summer (though a few people up in Gloucester did the paddle on their own), so I propose we run "Lack-burn" this weekend instead. While it won't be a regular race, hopefully it can provide an opportunity for folks to stay together while apart, get some exercise and competition, have some fun, and raise a little money for charity. Here's how it'll work...

Lack-burn will be a 20-mile virtual race (with a 10-mile course for SUP, running, rec kayak, and anyone else who's not up for 20 miles). There will be awards in all divisions at both distances for all water-, land-, and basement-based forms of human-powered locomotion: OC1, OC2 (multi-household pairs okay, at least in DC), SUP, surf ski, sprint kayak, sprint canoe, sea kayak, rec kayak, C1, C2 (see multi-household note), paddle erg, rowing erg, running on foot, road bike, mountain bike, stationary bike, Rollerblades, NordicTrac, snowshoe, pedal-powered ultralight aircraft... 

Here's how you enter and compete: 

1. Either this Saturday or Sunday (8/1-2), do 20 miles (or 10) as fast as you can via human-powered transport on what you judge to be a fair course. Time yourself. 

2. If you wish, make a donation to Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen, the Capital Area Food Bank, or a similar charity of your choice, or convince others to do the same in your name -- this in lieu of a race entry fee (see "Adjusted Time" below for an added incentive to give and recruit others to donate in your name). As of this writing, the federal emergency unemployment benefit lapses at the end of this week, meaning many folks in our country will be in need of food support. Please consider a donation -- the first two virtual races in this series have raised nearly $4,000 for charity -- let's see if we can add substantially to that total this weekend!

3. Submit your name, gender affiliation (open, women's, or mixed), age class (junior, open, masters, senior masters, golden masters, platinum masters), division (see above), donation amount (if any), and time via this Google form. Note: if you are in a 2-person craft, please select the age group for which both members of your crew are eligible. 

If you would like to race from WCC, see below for the course. If you're racing on the water, team up with folks around you who are approximately your speed to pace and race each other!

The course from WCC is as follows: downstream from WCC club seal on the DC side of Roosevelt Island to the red #89 channel buoy 1.5 miles south of Wilson Bridge, returning to WCC via the Roosevelt Island cut. 

Hit hard and stay safe (you participate at your own risk). Bring fluids and calories if you're going 20 miles. I look forward to not seeing all of you on the water next weekend, but to receiving your race information and times. I do look forward to seeing all of you on the water in the hopefully not-too-distant future. See below for added competitive wrinkles.

Cheers, 

Nate (who will finish sending out trophy images for Non-umental as soon as his full-time childcare schedule permits)

 

"This all sounds simple enough -- isn't there some way we could complicate this to make it more fun and confusing?" --But of course! There are three ways race times will be evaluated: 

1. Course time against other competitors in the same division, age, etc.

2. Adjusted time against other competitors in the same division, age, etc.

3. Grand Sweepstakes against all other competitors across all divisions within the same gender affiliation.

1. Course time -- how long it took the competitor to complete the course

2. Adjusted time -- one minute will be subtracted from your time for every $10 you donate or raise for Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen, the Capital Area Food Bank, or a similar charity -- again, this is instead of a race entry fee. Proof of donation not required, just truthfully attest to your fundraising amount when submitting your name, time, and other info when you submit your other registration info to the Google form (see above)

3. Grand Sweepstakes -- adjusted times from all divisions, age classes, etc. will be stacked up against each other using the conversion chart (see below) to produce Grand Sweepstakes Lack-burn first, second, and third place winners

Grand Sweepstakes Time Conversions (this is FYI; please submit your course time only and the race director's daughter, age 9, will perform the conversion calculations -- conversion calculations are somewhat arbitrary and capricious and may not be completely fair -- not unlike life)

If you are racing...

OC1, standard/marathon C2, sea kayak: no time adjustment made

sprint C1, paddle erg: 11:15 will be added to your time

OC2, sprint kayak, sprint C2, solo surf ski, running: 33:20 added

K2 (sprint or ski), rowing erg: 55:20 added

mountain bike: 110:40 minutes added

road bike, stationary bike: 144 minutes added

SUP, rec kayak: 66:40 minutes will be subtracted from your time OR paddle a 10-mile course instead of 20 (please self-report)

marathon C1: 22:10 subtracted

other: make me an offer

[Nathaniel Day]

PS: The race window will stay open through the weekend of 8/8 and 8/9. (No one will know if you double-dip with Philly Outrigger's Waterman's Challenge -- https://www.philadelphiaoutrigger.org/product/2020-watermans-registration/)